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P. H. RICHARDS.

MECHANISM FOR OREASING ENVELOPE BLANKS.

No. 351,284. Patented Oct. 19, 1886.

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MEGHANISM FOR GREASING ENVELOPE BLANKS.

Patented 001;. 19, 1886.-

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MECHANISM FOR GREASING ENVELOPE BLANKS. No. 351,284.

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UNITED STATES PATENT UEEICE.

FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THE PRATT & XVHITNEY COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONN.

MECHANISM FOR CREASING ENVELOPE-BLANKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part ,of Letters Patent No. 351,284, dated October 19, 1886.

Application filed January 21, 1886. Serial No. 189,294. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANCIS H. Rrcnanns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanism for Creasing EnvelopeBl-anks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention'relates to improvements in IQ mechanism for creasing envelope and other blanks of paper or similar material, the object being to furnish such a mechanism adapted to be used in and constitute a part of that class of envelope-machines in which the blanks are creased in their folding lines prior to the folding operation.

To this end the invention consists in the combinations hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a mechanism embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a top view of the lower part of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical section in line a a, Fig. 1. Fig. 4c is a perspectiveview of the supplemental bed-plate. Fig. 5 is aview similar to Fig. 4, showing one of the slides carrying the creasing-die. Fig. 6 shows some of the parts at the beginning of the creasing op eration. Fig. 7 shows the same parts at a later stage of, and Fig.8 shows them at the close of, said operation. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of an envelopeblank before creasing. Fig. 10 is a similar view of the same after creasing. Fig. 11 illustrates a modification of the yield- 3 5 ing die.

Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures.

The base of the mechanism is designated by B. This has an arm, A, rising therefrom for carrying the upper die. Said arm has a bearing for a vertical slide, S, which is operated by any convenient means, as, for instance, lever L, this being pivoted in link 3, or otherwise, as preferred. It is obviously quite immaterial to my invention what devices are used to opcrate said slide.

The upper die, 1), Figs. 1 and 3, may be formed of a single piece ofunetal or other hard material; but I prefer to construct it of several parts, thus: 0 is a plate, usually of cast-iron,

which is secured to slide S. This may be done by a rigid connection, but I prefer to use a device consisting of a spring-plate, a bearingpoint, and screws, as described and claimed in my application No. 129,850, filed April 30,1884. 5 5 On its outer edges plate 0 is provided with creasers 5, the lower edges of which are preferably beveled slightly, as indicated at 6, Fig. 3. These creasers are best made of steel and tempered.

The lower die is composite, and is so constructed and arranged as to have a closing and yielding movement derived from the descending upper die, after the manner described and broadly claimed in my application Serial No. 176,433, filed September 7, 1885. Said lower die consists of four bars, 8, preferably made of hard leather or soft metal, corresponding, respectivel y, with the several ereasers 5. These bars have lengthwise of them a groove into 7 which said creasers force the paper to be operated upon for the purpose of creasing the same. To make said groove the bars are preferablyrabbeted, substantially as shown at 9, Fig. 11, thereby forming a lower surface, 10, 7 and an elevated border, as at 1.1, this construction being deemed in practice preferable to a simple groove in the flat upper surface of the bar.

For the purpose of properly operating the 8 several die-sections 8, they are respectively formed on or placed in, as herein shown, a se ries of similar inclined slides, N N on the short and longer sides, respectively, of the lower die, which slides are designated collectively as 3 slides N, and individually without choice as slide N, a method of referenceherein adopted for other details of mechanism. The slides N N are respectively carried in sliding heads, those at the end being designated by H and 0 those at the sides by H For convenience in constructing and assembling the parts said. heads are or may be made in two parts, 12 and 13, held together by screws 14, as in Fig. 5. Heads H are constructed and arranged to be independently moved toward and from a common center, which is the center of the lower die. This operation of the heads may, among other well-known ways, be conveniently secured by the construction thereof shown in the draw- :00

' ings.

011 thelower side of said head'tliere are formed flanges 15, which fit and slide under other flanges, 16,.on the die-bed M. A double collared screw, 17, is provided for operating each head H, the collars of said screw fitting over a bearing, 18, which, for convenience in assembling the several parts, is removably secured to bed M by ascrew, 19. Between parts 12 and 13 of head H there is formed a hole, 20, for receiving the springs 2]., operating the slides N in an upward direction, limited by suitable st0psas, for instance, edge 22. By this means the several sections of the die may be readily and quickly adjusted to close against the creasing-die with a uniform pressure.

The operation of my improved creasing mechanism will be understood by referring to Figs. 6, 7, and S. A sheet of paper, R, of the proper blank form isfirst placed on the lower die, as in Fig. 4, resting on'bar 8. The upper die is then brought down to the paper, the edge 6 pressing it down against surface 10, as in Fig. 7, at a little distance from the raised border or ledge 11. On nowcontinuing the downward motion of said die the bar is carried by slide N downward and sidewise, as clearly indicated by line i 6, closing the ledge 11 up against the side of the creaser and press ing the paper into the rabbeted groove 9, as in Fig. 8.. This operation being simultaneously performed on the four sides the blank (shown plain in Fig. 9,) is folded up, as shown in Fig. 10, without tearing or breaking the paper.

In Fig. 11 I have shown a modified construction (not claimed herein) of the part carrying the bar 8. Here said bar is fixed in an oscillating bar, W, pivoted at 24., and held up by a spring, as 25, against a stop-screw, 26. Said part \V is or may be pivoted under an adjustable part, 28, for correcting its alignment. This form of apparatus for holding the creasing-die parts is equally well adapted as the preceding to be carried on heads H, and I have so shown, described, and claimed the same in another application to be filed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination, in a creasing mechanism, of an upper die and a lower die consisting of separate grooved sides constructed to slide on an incline, substantially as described.

2. The combination, in a creasing mechanism, of an upper dieaud a lower die comprising separate parts, each yieldingly held, substantially asdescribed, said parts being respectively carried by adjustable heads, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in.a creasing mechanism, of an upper die, the inclined slides N, having the respective grooved sides of the lower die, stops limiting the upward movement of said slides, and means, substantially as described, yi eldingly upholding said slides, substantially as described.

FRANCIS H. RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

CLARENCE E. BUCKIAND, Geo. W. DRAKE. 

